College is not an easy thing to get through at the best of times. Being expected to learn how to be an adult while dealing with the trials and tribulations of your early twenties is always a rollercoaster, and trying to get a degree in the middle of it can make things even worse.

The experience is frequently a turbulent few years, and there’s not often much room for crises if you want to come out the end in one piece. Nonetheless, these things happen and many students are given no choice but to try and work around them. 

This requires a lot of personal strength, and it’s vital that the college complies in the process. Unfortunately, though, many institutions and their teachers fall down when it comes to offering sympathy.

The problem was starkly illustrated in a recent Twitter thread, revealing how an anonymous student was frightened that their professor wouldn’t believe that their father had died and therefore would penalize them for not doing work.

This bleak anecdote opened the floodgates for a discussion on the unfair reaction that students often received for legitimate extenuating circumstances. While professors might see their fair share of dog-ate-my-homework excuses in their jobs, it’s important for them to make an informed decision.